LMU continues to post high numbers in annual Academic Progress Rate report by the NCAA.

LOS ANGELES - The more than 425 student-athletes at LMU continue to put up impressive numbers, and once again the numbers in the classroom rise above the nation's average. In the most recent Academic Progress Rate (APR) data released this week by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), LMU continues to post high marks, including nine of the 19 listed NCAA Division I varsity programs earning perfect 1,000 scores.

Pacing the marks are women's swimming, women's water polo, women's tennis and men's golf, who were honored the NCAA Public Recognition Awards to being in the top 10-percent of their sport for multiyear APR. All four of those programs earned perfect 1,000 scores in 2011-12 and continue to post perfect scores for their multi-year APR rate.

"Since the APR came into being, we have consistently been among the highest rated programs" said Athletics Director Dr. William Husak. "This legacy of academic success is a testament to the type of student-athletes we recruit, the commitment of our coaches to academics and the support of our Student-Athlete Academic Center staff."

Here are some specific achievements by several Lion programs:

 Women's water polo is one of just seven programs nationally with a multi-year average of 1,000, and one of just three from the state of California (Stanford and Santa Clara).

 In the WCC, men's golf is the only program to earn a perfect multiyear score of 1,000, while Women's tennis is one of just two (Santa Clara).

 Women's swimming is one of just 24 programs in the country with a perfect 1,000 score

 Men's soccer ranks second in the WCC with its Multi-year rate of 986, representing 99 student-athletes the last four academic years (the most of any LMU program in that time period).

Every Division I sports team calculates its APR each academic year, based on the eligibility and retention of each scholarship student-athlete. Teams scoring below certain thresholds can face penalties, such as scholarship reductions. Rates are based on the past four years' performance.

Overall, the West Coast Conference ranked sixth among all Division I conferences and third amongst non-football conferences in 2011-12 - the most recent year for which data is available. Three West Coast Conference sports posted an average APR of 991: women's cross country, women's golf, and women's volleyball.

The APR provides a real-time view of a team's academic success by tracking the progress of each student-athlete during the school year. By measuring eligibility and retention each semester or quarter, the APR provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.